A Crystal Grows in Brooklyn: Inside Sweet Saba's Studio

Talk about a candy crush. Everything about Maayan Zilberman, the chic confectioner behind Sweet Saba, says luxury. But the founding principles of her brand are rich with nostalgia, family, and culture. Here, we go inside her Brooklyn studio.

Zilberman, a former lingerie designer, is the toast of the town with Sweet Saba, a line of handmade luxe candy that is adored by New York’s fashion elite. Estée Lauder, Irene Neuwirth, W Magazine, Delpozo, Jimmy Choo, Smith & Cult, and Bergdorf Goodman have all collaborated with Zilberman on her bespoke candy creations. Earlier this month, she even partnered with the fabulously popular Instagram account @everyoutfitonsatc, to re-create the infamous Sex and the City “Post-it note” and Carrie Bradshaw’s nameplate necklace in candy form.

Her architectural designs offer a sensually delightful experience. Sweet Saba’s so-called “grown-up candies” are not only chic in their design, they are also meaningful–drawing on the collective memory of real life objects reimagined by Zilberman’s aesthetic. Fusing humor, unexpected flavor, and an undeniable surrealism, the boutique candies that make up the Sweet Saba line are works of edible art that appeal to the fashion world.

The art world, too, has taken note of the line, which Zilberman founded in 2015. By 2016, Zilberman had launched a collaboration with The Whitney Museum of American Art. By 2017, she had staged sugary sculptural installations in Los Angeles and at Art Basel Miami.